On Saturday, Mississippi State University’s Drill Field will fill with people, food and flags from all over the world for the 29th annual International Fiesta.
Hosted annually by the university’s Holmes Cultural Diversity Center and the World Neighbors Association, the fiesta is a celebration of the world’s cultures. This year, 48 different organizations from the university and surrounding communities have set up booths where they’ll sell food, put on cultural performances and feature children’s activities, said Kei Mamiya, a program coordinator for the Diversity Center and vice president of the World Neighbors Association.
The fiesta has long been an event that draws big crowds, and Mamiya said he thinks Starkville and MSU’s diversity helps drive that interest.
“We have a lot of people from not only the United States but different countries,” Mamiya said. “I think people are interested in getting to know their background and cultures and that’s what keeps the fiesta going. We have more faculty, students and staff from different countries and they are interested in showing their culture — they are interested in showing people from here their different culture, and people from here are interested in getting to know them.”
This year’s event is set for 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. It is currently set for the Drill Field but will move to the concourse under Davis Wade Stadium in the event of rain. While vendors may charge for food or wares, there’s no cost to attend the fiesta.
Joan Mylroie, a member of the World Neighbors Association executive board, said the fiesta has grown tremendously in the roughly 20 years since she started attending and becoming involved with it. It has always been a powerful tool for helping the community members learn about each other, she said.
“It’s a great way to communicate with each other and get to know each other,” she said. “Until you know each other and talk to each other, you just don’t understand — it’s a way to be a part of each other’s lives.”
The fiesta will open at 11 a.m. with a parade of flags — an annual tradition where people holding flags from around the world march from Allen Hall to the fiesta grounds on the Drill Field. Mylroie said any volunteers are welcome to participate in the parade of flags, and those interested in carrying them can meet in front of Allen Hall at about 10:45 a.m.
After the parade, Mamiya said, various speakers will provide opening statements, which should last for about 15 minutes.
An array of performances are scheduled for the rest of the fiesta, including by the Starkville-MSU Chinese School, the Starkville Strings School and MSU Nach, an Indian dance group. Mamiya said there will also be performances of Russian music and singing and martial arts demonstrations.
Mylroie said one constant, as the fiesta has grown through the years, is that the community has always been supportive. That support is echoed by the fiesta’s participants, who Mylroie said are always eager to share about their countries or cultures.
“One of the things you can do is go up to a booth and say ‘Tell me something about your country,’ and they’re excited to do that,” she said. “It’s so educational to learn about people from all over the world.”
How to go
■ WHAT: International Fiesta
■ WHEN: Saturday from 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
■ WHERE: Mississippi State University’s Drill Field
■ HOW MUCH: Free
Alex Holloway was formerly a reporter with The Dispatch.
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